Lone worker monitor

• US 20050151669A1
• Filed: 11/26/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SoloProtect Ltd. (G Broady Enterprises, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Connexion2 Limited (Kings III of America LLC)
• Inventors: Swallow, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 7,412,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19658 Telephone systems used to communicate with a camera, e.g. PSTN, GSM, POTS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station

Abstract

A system has a monitor attached to and monitoring sound and vision around the user and using cellular telephone communications to convey monitored information. The monitor calls a primary server which alerts a secondary server of call receipt. The secondary server calls the monitor which drops the call to the primary server after a predetermined time, and remains in contact with the secondary server only if the monitor has successfully received the call from the secondary server, thereby preventing introduction of a false monitor. The monitor has options alterable only when on a battery charging cradle. The monitor has amber and red alert modes involving further servers, providing means to monitor and record the sounds and vision. The monitor has satellite position reporting. The system employs cell phone inter base station signal strength interpolation to find the monitor'"'"'s position. A vibration motor silently alerts the user to calls.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the environment of an individual comprising:

a monitor, operative to monitor at least one perceivable aspect of a user'"'"'s environment and to convey signals representative of said at least one perceivable aspect by mobile telephonic communication;

a first server for receiving a call from said monitor; and

a second server for placing a call to the monitor;

said monitor placing a first call for a predetermined time to said first server;

said first server alerting said second server that said first server has received said first call;

said second server responding to said alert by placing a second call to said monitor within said predetermined time;

said monitor abandoning said first call to said first server after said predetermined time, and said monitor only remaining in communication with said second server when said second call has been successfully received by said monitor.

2. A system, according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first server and said second server is operative automatically to record said at least one perceivable aspect of a user'"'"'s environment.

3. A system, according to claim 1, wherein said at least one perceivable aspect of the user'"'"'s environment comprises at least one of:

sound;

images as a succession of periodical still images;

images in video form; and

a position of the user derived from a Global Positioning by Satellite (GPS) receiver.

4. A system, according to claim 2, wherein said at least one perceivable aspect of the user'"'"'s environment comprises at least one of:

sound;

images as a succession of periodical still images;

images in video form; and

the position of the user derived from a Global Positioning by Satellite (GPS) receiver.

5. A system, according to claim 1, also comprising position interpolation means for estimating a position of the monitor by measuring mobile telephone signal strength at at least one mobile telephone base station.

6. A system, according to claim 2, also comprising position interpolation means for estimating a position of the monitor by measuring mobile telephone signal strength at at least one mobile telephone base station.

7. A system, according to claim 3, also comprising position interpolation means for estimating a position of the monitor by measuring mobile telephone signal strength at at least one mobile telephone base station.

8. A system, according to claim 1, wherein said monitor comprises means for receiving, holding and obeying a set comprising a plurality of operational settings, at least some of said plurality of operational settings each having at least one selectable parameter;

said monitor also comprising a rechargeable battery;

said system comprising a charging cradle for receiving said monitor and for charging said rechargeable battery;

said monitor comprising detection means operative to detect when said monitor is in said charging cradle; and

said monitor, in order to prevent false changing of the operational settings, only responding to setting change commands when said detection means detects that said monitor is in said charging cradle.

9. A system, according to claim 2, wherein said monitor comprises means for receiving, holding and obeying a set comprising a plurality of operational settings, at least some of said plurality of operational settings each having at least one selectable parameter;

said monitor also comprising a rechargeable battery;

said system comprising a charging cradle for receiving said monitor and for charging said rechargeable battery;

said monitor comprising detection means for detecting when said monitor is in said charging cradle; and

said monitor, in order to prevent false changing of the operational settings, only responding to setting change commands when said detection means detects that said monitor is in said charging cradle.

10. A system, according to claim 3, wherein said monitor comprises means for receiving, holding and obeying a set comprising a plurality of operational settings, at least some of said plurality of operational settings each having at least one selectable parameter;

said monitor also comprising a rechargeable battery;

said system comprising a charging cradle for receiving said monitor and for charging said rechargeable battery;

said monitor comprising detection means operative to detect when said monitor is in said charging cradle; and

said monitor, in order to prevent false changing of the operational settings, only responding to setting change commands when said detection means detects that said monitor is in said charging cradle.

11. A system, according to claim 8, wherein said setting change commands are provided to said monitor as mobile telephone short message service messages.

12. A system, according to claim 9, wherein said setting change commands are provided to said monitor as mobile telephone short message service messages.

13. A system, according to claim 10, wherein said setting change commands are provided to said monitor as mobile telephone short message service messages.

14. A system, according to claim 1, wherein said monitor comprises monitoring means and communication means, said communication means being separate from said monitoring means, and said monitoring means and said communication means being coupled by a short range wireless link.

15. A system, according to claim 12, wherein said short range wireless link is a Bluetooth™

Link.

16. A system, according to claim 1, wherein said mobile telephonic communication comprises at least one of:

GSM commuication;

GPRS communication;

WAP communication;

cellular ground communication;

satellite communication;

fibre optic communication and cable communication.

17. A system, according to claim 2, wherein said mobile telephonic communication comprises at least one of:

GSM commuication;

GPRS communication;

WAP communication;

cellular ground communication;

satellite communication;

fibre optic communication and cable communication.

18. A system, according to claim 3, wherein said mobile telephonic communication comprises at least one of:

GSM commuication;

GPRS communication;

WAP communication;

cellular ground communication;

satellite communication;

fibre optic communication and cable communication.

19. A system, according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said monitor comprises one or more manually operable buttons, operative to trigger and to cancel at least one of:

a display status report;

an amber alert response;

a red alert response;

a chain red alert response;

sending commands from said monitor;

receiving commands in said monitor;

a low battery alert.

20. A system, according to claim 19, comprising a third server, operative in an amber alert response to make forensic recordings and to allow witnesses to experience events.

21. A system, according to claim 20, wherein said monitor is operative to send and receive cellular telephone short message service (SMS) messages.

22. A monitor, operative to monitor at least one perceivable aspect of a user'"'"'s environment and to convey signals representative of said at least one perceivable aspect by mobile telephonic communication to a first server and to receive a call from a second server;

said monitor placing a first call for a predetermined time to said first server;

said first server alerting said second server that said first server has received said first call;

said monitor abandoning said first call to said first server after said predetermined time, and said monitor only remaining in communication with said second server when said call from said second server has been successfully received by said monitor.

23. A monitor, according to claim 22, for use when at least one of said first server and said second server is operative automatically to record said at least one perceivable aspect of a user'"'"'s environment.

24. A monitor, according to claim 22, wherein said at least one perceivable aspect of the user'"'"'s environment comprises at least one of:

sound;

images as a succession of periodical still images;

images in video form; and

the position of the user derived from a Global Positioning by Satellite (GPS) receiver.

25. A method for monitoring at least one perceivable aspect of a user'"'"'s environment, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a monitor, a first server, and a second server;

the monitor placing a first call for a predetermined time to the first server;

said first server alerting said second server that said first server has received said call from said monitor;

said second server placing a call to said monitor;

said monitor abandoning said first call to said first server after said predetermined time; and

said monitor only remaining in communication with said second server when said call from said second server has been successfully received by said monitor.

27. A method, according to claim 26, including the step of employing at least one of said first server and said second server automatically to record said at least one perceivable aspect of a user'"'"'s environment.

28. A method, according to claim 27 wherein said at least one perceivable aspect of a user'"'"'s environment comprises at least one of:

sound;

images as a succession of periodical still images;

images in video form; and

a position of the user derived from a Global Positioning by Satellite (GPS) receiver.